


Navigating Parenthood

by toasty_coconut



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26996482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toasty_coconut/pseuds/toasty_coconut
Summary: Compared to saving the country from a nuclear missile, parenting should be a piece of cake, right? Well, maybe. In which Akko and Diana stumble their way through living out their dreams while figuring out parenthood together.[A series of one-shots focused on Akko and Diana building and raising a family. Chapters can be read in any order.]
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 114
Kudos: 294





	1. In Which Akko and Diana Have a Late Night

**Author's Note:**

> "But they're both women. How do they have children?" you ask. To which I respond with, "Magic." I'll let your imagination do the rest.

Diana had never been a believer in love at first sight. The prospect of it was nothing short of ridiculous to her. Love was such an intimate emotion that the thought of feeling that way for someone simply by looking at them was preposterous to her. In fact, Diana held no shame in admitting that her first impression of her own significant other was that of indifference, at best.

And yet, the moment Diana laid eyes on the wailing infant in the hands of her family doctor, her heart was filled with so much love that it could have burst. She was exhausted, sweating, and every part of her body ached, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the child being placed in her arms.

Akko had been a blubbering mess of tears at her bedside. Repeated praises of love and utterances of ‘thank you’ and ‘so small’ were the only phrases she could manage in English; everything else was a whirlwind of sputtered Japanese. But the feeling was all the same—Akko was just as over the moon in love as she was.

They had finally welcomed Aya Cavendish to the world, and neither of them had ever fallen in love so hard or so fast before.

Even four days later, as Diana sat in the stillness of night, looking down at the infant cradled in her arms, that feeling had yet to pass. She had experienced more emotions over the four days since Aya came into their lives than she had throughout her entire lifetime. But at the base of it all was the intensely deep-rooted love she felt for her new daughter.

Diana wondered if her own mother felt that way about her after she was born.

She had found herself thinking of Bernadette more than usual lately. While she had always admired her mother, that admiration had only grown after having a child of her own. It consistently amazed Diana to think that Bernadette had gone through all of that pain and exhaustion, despite her health, just to bring her into the world.

She wished she could thank her.

Aya letting out a soft cry brought Diana from her thoughts. Even though she had already finished cleaning and nursing her, Aya still hadn’t totally settled for the night. She squirmed in her mother’s arms, another cry escaping her.

Diana slowly rocked the recliner she was sitting in. She caressed Aya’s brunette hair with a gentle touch of her fingers, hushing her. “It’s all right, darling,” she comforted in a whisper, “I’m here.”

At the sound of her mother’s voice, Aya’s cries simmered down into tiny whimpers. She relaxed, leaning into Diana’s touch. Diana smiled, grazing her knuckles against the infant’s cheek.

“Diana? What’re you doing up?”

The voice took Diana by surprise. She hadn’t expected anyone to be awake at that hour. But there Akko stood in the nursery’s doorway—her long hair tousled with bedhead, and her eyes with heavy, black bags beneath them. She held her wand in her hand, using it as a source of light in the otherwise dark hallway.

She yawned, rubbing her eye. “I told you I’d take care of things tonight.”

“She was hungry,” Diana explained simply. “And you needed sleep.”

“Nu-uh. I’m wide awake,” Akko countered with another yawn, dragging her feet over to where Diana sat.

Aya shifted, seeming to have noticed the new voice in the room. Red eyes that could barely be kept open yet searched for the source of the sound, until finally settling on Akko. She let out a small gurgling noise.

“ _Mame-chan konbanwa_ ,” Akko greeted, reaching over to rub her index finger against Aya’s hand. “Needed a midnight snack, huh? I guess I can relate.” She grinned with pride. “Wait till you try pickled plums. They’re the best snack of all.”

Diana sighed. “I really wish you’d stop eating those things so late at night.”

Akko wiggled her finger as Aya tightened her grip around it. “Really?” she asked, casting Diana a smug look. “‘Cause I remember _someone_ wanting them at 3 AM last week…” She lulled her head from side to side. “And it wasn’t me, so…”

Diana’s face flushed and she closed her eyes, twitching a brow. “That… was entirely different.”

Although Diana usually considered Akko’s favorite pickled plums to be repugnant, she had recently developed a taste for them. She wasn’t especially proud of those particular late night cravings, largely in part because she knew Akko would never let it go, but her body demanded what it demanded at the time. Fortunately for her, her sense of taste had largely returned to normal since Aya was born. She wouldn’t be eating pickled plums again any time soon.

Probably.

“Whatever you say,” Akko snickered, rubbing Diana’s shoulder. “Anyways, why don’t you go back to bed? I can take it from here.”

“It’s fine, Akko,” Diana insisted. “Really. I don’t mind.”

Akko puffed her cheeks in disapproval. “But you should be resting…”

Akko had been working herself ragged since the moment Aya arrived. While Diana was grateful for the much-needed rest she was getting, it was becoming painfully obvious Akko was beginning to experience the side effects of sleep deprivation—if her pouring orange juice into her cereal earlier that day was any indication of such. Diana’s hope had been that Akko could get a few extra hours of sleep in so that she wouldn’t be a walking mess later. However, it seemed as though Akko continued to be too stubborn for her own good.

Before Diana had the chance to respond, Aya suddenly cried loudly, taking both of her parents by surprise. Diana blinked, looking down at the now wailing infant who was squirming unhappily in her arms.

Akko frowned. “Is she okay?”

“Yes, I already fed and changed her,” Diana sighed, lifting Aya against her shoulder to rub her back. “I think she’s just being fussy now.”

Akko’s frown deepened as she helplessly watched their daughter cry. “Is there something I can do?”

Diana continued on gently rubbing Aya’s back with a shake of her head. “Like I said, I think she’s just upset,” she explained, hushing their child. “She’s been off-and-on like this for a while.”

Akko furrowed her brows, putting a hand to her chin. She watched on for a moment as Diana continued her attempt at comforting Aya. That was when an idea seemed to strike her, and her face lit up. “Oh, I know!”

Diana raised a brow, glancing at her wife who was now eagerly moving to stand in front of the rocking chair. “What are you doing?”

Akko grinned. “You’ll see! Here! Turn her towards me!” As Diana adjusted her hold on Aya, Akko crouched down to meet her eye level, waving a hand. “Aya! _Mite mite!_ ”

Aya continued right on with her crying as Akko straightened herself out and cleared her throat. Diana was left momentarily puzzled, but very quickly put the pieces together on what Akko was about to do when she extended her wand.

With a wave of her wand, Akko said, “ _Metamorphie Faciesse!_ ”

Just like that, there was a popping sound, followed by a colorful cloud of smoke. Seconds later, Akko emerged from the cloud—except now she was a pink, egg-shaped, cartoonish-looking bird. Letting out a silly ‘caw’ noise, she frantically flapped her short wings until she was flying upside down.

Aya’s crying grew quieter as she watched Akko accidentally bonk her head against the crib below her. She squawked in pain, feigning dizziness in mid-air. Diana cleared her throat, pressing a knuckle to her mouth to suppress the urge to laugh.

Akko flew over to Diana and Aya, flapping around Diana’s head in circles. “ _Dou omou?_ ” she asked, nesting herself atop Diana’s head and spreading her wings out wide. “Pretty funny, right?”

Aya’s crying finally settled as she stared at Akko in silence. She shifted slightly, but did little more than make a very small cooing sound.

Akko puffed her cheeks, ruffling her feathers. “Tough crowd.”

“She’s only four days old, Akko. It will be a while before she even starts smiling, let alone laughing,” Diana reasoned with a chuckle. When Akko grumbled in dissatisfaction, Diana glanced up at her. “But she stopped crying, didn’t she?”

Akko blinked, taking a moment to think before finally lighting up. “Yeah! I guess you’re right!” she conceded, hopping off of Diana’s head and gliding to the floor.

Seconds later, she poofed back to normal, slipping her wand into the back pocket of her shorts. She beamed, rubbing a finger against Aya’s stomach. “Man, I can’t wait to hear that cute little laugh,” she cooed, leaning in closer. “I’m gonna have you laughing all the time. Yes, I am.”

Aya squirmed in Diana’s arms again. Fortunately, it seemed to be a squirm of delight rather than one of dismay. Akko’s eyes sparkled with joy, positively elated by that reaction.

“It would be just as wonderful if you could get her _sleeping_ ,” Diana pointed out as her wife poked Aya’s nose.

Akko stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips. “A good performer never puts her audience to sleep!” She winked at Aya. “ _Sou dayo ne?_ ”

At the very least, thanks to Akko, Aya had stopped her crying. But as her little red eyes continued to search the room, Diana knew that their daughter was likely still a ways off from actually falling to sleep.

She didn’t know what triggered it, but in the back of her mind, Diana could hear a faint and distant melody. She knew there were words, but they were so far-off she couldn’t remember a single one. Though, what Diana did remember were the many nights she would lay in bed, her eyes growing heavy as her mother’s voice carried her off to sleep.

It was something she had nearly forgotten about—a song stored so deep in the back of her mind that it was almost as if it hadn’t existed at all. She wasn’t sure when she had started quietly humming that same melody to the child in her arms, but as soon as she caught herself doing it, she realized that Akko’s amused gaze was on her.

Diana’s cheeks flushed as she glanced at Akko out of the corner of her eye. “What?”

“Nothing.” Akko shrugged with a smile. “I’ve just never heard you sing before. Your voice is kinda pretty.”

Diana’s cheeks burned brighter as she cleared her throat, attempting to shake it off. “It’s a lullaby,” she explained matter-of-factly, looking at Aya, whose eyes kept slowly closing and reopening in an attempt to battle sleep. “My mother used to sing it to me.”

“Well, I think it sounds nice,” Akko complimented, leaning her elbow on the back of the recliner. “And I’ll bet Aya does, too.”

“Thank you. I’m not sure I do my mother’s version justice, though,” she sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t even remember the words.”

Aya was now fast asleep, the side of her head nestled against the fabric of Diana’s bathrobe. Something twanged in her chest—an old, dull ache. She knew the lyrics to the lullaby were likely forever lost, gone along with her mother. It was another piece of her that Diana wouldn’t be able to get back, and that hurt more than she would have anticipated.

As Diana observed the gentle rise and fall of her daughter’s chest, she wondered if her mother would have sung Aya that same lullaby—words and all. She wondered if her mother would have been awake with her late at night, helping her figure out the hurdles of parenting. She wondered what her mother’s face would have looked like upon holding her grandchild for the first time.

Diana knew those were all things that could never be, but her heart still yearned for them, regardless.

“Is something wrong?”

Akko’s voice pulled Diana from her thoughts. She glanced over her shoulder to see Akko watching her with a tilted head. “No. Not really,” Diana dismissed, looking back to Aya. “I was just thinking about how I wish my mother could have seen her. I’m sure she would have adored her.”

“Based on how much it sounds like she adored _you_?” Akko started, putting a hand on Diana’s shoulder. “I know she would have.”

Just as much as her mother would have loved Aya, Diana was positive that she would have had those same feelings for Akko, as well. If there was one thing she knew for certain about her mother, it was that she was someone who had all the love in the world to give. So much so that it often resulted in her neglecting to care for herself.

Yet somehow, someway, she always managed to smile for Diana. Even on her worst days, her mother always seemed to know what to do and wouldn’t hesitate to go wherever she was needed. She was remarkable, and Diana could only hope that one day she could become half the person—half the parent—that she was. 

“Sometimes I wonder how she did it all,” Diana mused, adjusting the blanket that was swaddled around Aya. “Leading the family, losing my father, managing her health… all while taking care of me.” She shook her head. “I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for her.” She huffed. “Meanwhile, I still feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Akko shrugged. “I don’t think we’re supposed to know. I mean, I definitely don’t know what I’m doing, either,” she assured, crouching down and grasping Diana’s hand in her own. “But you and I make a pretty good team. We’ll figure it out together—one day at a time.” She grinned. “We’re gonna be the best moms in the world. Just watch!”

The way Akko’s eyes were shining made Diana’s heart swell. A reassuring warmth spread throughout her body and she laughed lightly, saying, “You sound so confident.”

“I am confident,” Akko proclaimed, thumping a fist to her chest. “We figured out how to stop some crazy missile from blowing up the country, didn’t we? We can figure out parenting, too.” Her expression grew softer as she squeezed Diana’s hand. “We’d make your mom proud. I believe in us.”

No matter what doubts Diana had, Akko always had a way of making such bold statements using so few words that she couldn’t help but be put at ease. Of course they would be fine. They always were.

Diana reciprocated Akko’s grip. “Me too.”

As much as Diana wished her mother were there to provide her the guidance she felt she needed, she knew that Akko was right. They were a team. Whatever weaknesses she had as a parent, Akko would be there to make up for them with her strengths tenfold—and Diana would do the same for her. They would stumble and make mistakes, but always have each other to pick them up and brush them off after.

Between the two of them, Aya would be in good hands.

“Why don’t we put her to bed?” Diana suggested, rising out of her chair carefully, as to not wake Aya.

Akko placed a hand on Diana’s back, helping her stand up with a smirk. “For now?”

Diana smiled with a roll of her eyes. “For now.”

Aya, who was still knocked out cold, hadn’t so much as flinched at the motion of Diana standing up and making her way over to the crib. However, Diana was almost certain that she would wake with a cry to be reckoned with in an hour (if they were lucky). But, at this point, she was willing to take any amount of sleep she could get.

Diana bent down, delicately laying Aya on her back in the crib. The infant did little more than make a faint cooing sound in her sleep. Diana nearly sighed in relief at how easily she was willing to be put down.

Akko reached into the crib, gently fixing the blanket that was wrapped around their daughter. “ _Oyasumi_.”

Diana watched as Aya let out a content breath, curling and uncurling her hands in her sleep. Just that small motion alone was enough to fill Diana’s heart to the brim with that same overwhelming love she felt upon witnessing her come into the world. And, judging by the look on Akko’s face, she had the suspicion that she felt the same.

Perhaps they wouldn’t be the perfect parents. Perhaps Diana would never get the advice she so desperately wanted from her mother. Perhaps Akko would continue to pour orange juice into her cereal at 7 AM after a night of failing to put their daughter to sleep. But if this overpowering love was something they never stopped feeling, Diana was certain they would conquer any challenge parenting threw their way together.

Diana allowed her fingertips to stroke Aya’s soft tuft of hair one last time as she leaned in and whispered, “Good night, love.”

* * *

_End._


	2. In Which Akko Dresses Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of a collaboration I did with [TracedInAir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TracedInAir/pseuds/TracedInAir) and [simpleapricot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpleapricot/pseuds/simpleapricot) where we all wrote the same basic theme for Halloween based on an idea [yourhope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourhope/pseuds/yourhopet) came up with! Please check out their works, too!

Diana hated the end of the month. It always felt like _that_ was when she had the most work that needed to get done. Hours would be wasted away in her office until the calendar finally flipped over and she could breathe again. The 31st of October was no different. Time simply slipped away as she shifted through the mountain of papers sitting on the edge of her desk.

Ever since she had awoken in the early hours of that morning, her day had consisted of nothing but paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. She hadn’t even realized that the sun was starting to set—casting a bright orange glow throughout the room—until she heard a rapping sound on her office door. 

Diana glanced up from her desk, peering over her glasses. “Yes?”

“It’s me!” A familiar voice chirped from the other side.

The sound of the voice alone served as being a bit of relief, pulling Diana away from the world of finances, if only for a moment. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she leaned back in her office chair. “Come in.”

“You have to close your eyes first!”

Diana’s face scrunched in confusion. “What?”

“Close your eyes!”

That certainly was not the greeting she had anticipated. However, deciding it best not to argue, Diana did as she was told and shut her eyes. “All right. They’re closed.”

There was a small giggle, followed by the creak of the door opening. She could hear the shuffling of a pair of feet making their way into the office. After a beat, the voice spoke again, “Okay… open!”

Unsure of what to expect, Diana’s eyes fluttered open. The sight before her, however, nearly made her groan. She should have expected this, but she had gotten so caught up in her work that she had almost forgotten what the 31st of October meant. “...Really, Akko?” she sighed, rubbing her temple. “Again?”

“What do you mean ‘again’?” Akko spat back, placing her hands firmly on her hips. “You know this is my costume every year!”

Yes, this was indeed something that Diana had become all too familiar with. Every year on Halloween Akko went out of her way to dress up as none other than her idol, Shiny Chariot. It had been Akko’s tradition for almost as long as she had known her. And there she stood now—red cape, white hat, fake Shiny Rod and all. It may have been cute on a child, but on Akko it was… Okay, well, it was still cute.

But that was beside the point, and more importantly, only one half of the problem at hand. The other half of the problem arose when _every year_ Akko insisted that they wear a ‘couple’s costume’. A ‘couple’s costume’ that involved Diana dressing up as Shiny Chariot’s crow familiar, Alcor. (Akko failed to understand why the implication of Shiny Chariot and her _pet bird_ being a ‘couple’s costume’ was so bad.)

But no matter how Akko tried, every year Diana refused. Dressing up on Halloween was not something Diana had done since she was a small child, and she had no intention of changing that any time soon. She was not about to be a fully grown woman walking around her own home dressed as an animal, thank you very much.

Diana rolled her eyes. “And I suppose you’re going to ask me to put on that silly bird outfit now, aren’t you?”

Akko cracked a devilish grin, wagging a finger at her wife. “Oh no, my love. You see, we’re mixing things up a bit this year!”

Diana cocked a brow. “What are you talking about?”

“...This!” Akko exclaimed as she jogged out into the hallway. She returned a moment later, crouched down and pushing a baby walker into the office. She stood up straight, spreading out her arms with pride. “Introducing Shiny Chariot’s loyal crow familiar, Alcor!”

Sitting in the baby walker was none other than their infant daughter, Aya, dressed up in what appeared to be a white Alcor onesie. The hood that was draped over her head was decorated with beady eyes and a yellow beak. Aya, however, appeared to have no idea what was going on—looking around the room as she sucked away at the pacifier in her mouth. Once her eyes set on Diana, she bounced with glee in her walker—waving her Alcor-winged arms.

 _Oh no_.

Diana bit her lip, putting a hand to her mouth. “...What is this?”

Akko beamed with pride. “Shiny Chariot and Alcor, of course!” She bent down, picking up Aya from out of her walker and making a kissy face at her. “Did you really think I was gonna let Aya’s first Halloween go to waste?”

As Akko picked their daughter up, Diana happened to notice that Aya’s costume even had a _tail_. She inhaled through her nose and quickly rubbed her face.

By the Nine, what had become of her?

Attempting to shake the fluttering sensation happening in her chest away, Diana cleared her throat. “Mhm,” she hummed, rising up from out of her office chair and making her way over to her wife and daughter. “And you don’t think she’s a little young for that? It’s not like she can eat candy yet.”

Aya let out a noise of delight as Diana approached, squirming in Akko’s arms and reaching for her mother. Diana laughed lightly, taking her from Akko to get a better look at her costume. Unfortunately for Diana, Aya was even cuter up close—especially when she stared at her with those sparkling red eyes that reminded her so much of Akko.

She probably could have melted on the spot.

“Then I can eat it for her! Halloween’s about more than candy!” Akko proclaimed, holding up a finger. “It’s about dressing up and having fun.” She leaned in, poking Aya’s nose. “Not that your mother would know the first thing about that. _Ne, Mame-chan?_ ”

Aya giggled, the pacifier falling out of her mouth and right onto the bright yellow star on her chest in the process.

“Hm,” Diana hummed, picking the pacifier up and sticking it back into Aya’s mouth. “And what makes you think that?”

“Because I already know you’re not gonna like what I’m about to say.”

“Which is…?”

“Well…” Akko started, slowly walking backwards, toward the office doorway, “since Aya is playing the role of Alcor this year, I was thinking…”

With that, Akko disappeared into the hall once more. Diana raised a brow as she heard the shuffling of plastic bags. Moments later, Akko jumped back into the office, triumphantly holding out something long and white. “Ta-da!”

Diana furrowed her brows in confusion, trying to figure out what, exactly, Akko was holding. It almost looked like a bedsheet. She squinted, eyes slowly scanning over fabric in Akko’s hands. That was when she noticed two beady black eyes staring back at her, as well as an unmistakable yellow shape sitting between them.

She deadpanned.

“Oh no. Absolutely not.”

“Aw, c’mon!” Akko pouted, holding it out more. “Can’t you at least try it on, _Arcas_?”

While Diana knew what Akko was holding certainly wasn’t a bedsheet, Diana almost wished it had been. In actuality, it was some kind of onesie, similar to Aya’s, but obviously made for an adult. The hood was that of a polar bear head—namely the guardian of the Fountain of Polaris, Arcas.

Shiny Chariot hadn’t been around for 20 years. Where did Akko even find these things?

“No. I don’t think so,” Diana dismissed flat out, handing Aya back off to Akko. “You and Aya have fun.”

“Wha?!” Akko gawked, taking Aya in one arm and draping the Arcas onesie around the other. “You really don’t wanna join us?”

Diana sighed, leaning back against her desk. “I’m afraid not. I have far too much work to be doing,” she explained, glancing at the Arcas onesie draped around Akko’s arm. Aya was now pulling playfully at the polar bear ears. “Besides, you know I don’t do these things.”

Akko pouted. “Yeah, but,” she lifted Aya, shoving her in Diana’s face, “it’s Aya’s _first_ Halloween!” She peeked her face out from behind their baby. “Don’t you wanna be a part of that?”

Aya let out an excited noise, reaching out and touching Diana’s face with her little hands. Diana, once again, nearly melted on the spot. But she restrained herself, biting her lip and gently moving Aya’s hands away.

“I really should be working. You know how the end of the month is,” Diana reasoned, offering Akko a small smile. “Take pictures for me.”

Akko’s frown deepened as she pulled Aya away, looking from her to the Arcas outfit around her arm. Finally, she sighed, adjusting Aya in her arms. “...All right,” she resigned, looking at Aya sadly. “ _Mame-chan,_ _ikou_.”

With that, Akko turned on her heel and made her way toward the exit. As she did, Aya looked back at Diana from over Akko’s shoulder. She let out a small whine, struggling against Akko’s grip and reaching back toward Diana.

She really did have every intention of returning back to work and getting through that daunting pile of papers. And yet, there her daughter was, on the verge of tears and reaching out for her—during her very first Halloween, no less. The sight of it alone immediately broke Diana’s heart in two.

She internally cursed whatever sort of maternal instincts now held such a vice grip on her life.

Taking a deep breath, Diana managed, “Hold on.”

Akko stopped in her tracks, turning around and raising a brow. Diana took a long moment to stand in silence. She bit down on her tongue, hard, as if trying to fight off the words that were attempting to escape. But as both Akko and Aya stared at her with those same sad red eyes, she knew it was a battle she was about to lose.

Diana held out her hand. “Give me the polar bear suit.”

Akko’s expression instantly brightened, and Aya seemed to take notice as she did the same. “Really?!”

“Yes,” Diana breathed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Before I change my mind.”

Akko squealed in excitement, hopping in place before rushing over to Diana and flinging the Arcas onesie into her arms. “Yay! This is gonna be so much fun!” she enthused, looking at the baby in her arms. “ _Tanoshimi ne?_ ”

Somehow, Diana doubted that Aya actually understood the implications of what was happening, but Akko’s bubbly tone seemed to work regardless. Aya squirmed in excitement, happily clapping her hands.

“Why don’t you go downstairs?” Diana suggested. “I’m sure Anna and Carter would adore seeing her in that outfit. I’ll join you in a moment.”

“Okay!” Akko agreed, a new gleam in her eye as she strutted to the door. “Alcor, let’s go visit the world of magic!”

Aya did not put up a resistance as Akko stepped through the doorway this time. Instead, she looked back at Diana with that same excitable gleam Akko had in her eyes. The corners of Diana’s mouth turned up, and she offered her daughter a small wave as Akko shut the door behind them.

Diana let out an exhausted breath, running a hand through her hair as she looked down at the Arcas onesie in her arms. She was seriously about to walk around her house dressed like a polar bear. Never in a _million_ years would she have agreed to something like this before. Did becoming a mother really soften her up that much?

As she remembered the way her heart did backflips in her chest upon seeing Aya in her Alcor costume, she knew the answer to that question without a doubt.

She stole a final glance at that foreboding pile of papers on her desk. She supposed they would just have to wait—there was always tomorrow. Her daughter’s first Halloween only came once, and she couldn’t keep her waiting any longer than she already did.

She had a polar bear suit she needed to put on.

* * *

_End._


	3. In Which Akko Picks a Name

“Hey, what’re we gonna name the baby?”

“It’s… a little early for that, don’t you think?”

It had been an entire day since Diana had broken the news that she was definitely, totally pregnant with a living, breathing (kind of) baby. After they had spent so much time trying, it was actually happening for real. Akko could hardly contain her enthusiasm and had been blabbering about the joys of becoming a parent every second since.

Even right then, as Akko stood in Diana’s home office, she bounced on her heels and beamed from ear to ear. Diana had mentioned something or other about needing to get work done before the weekend, but Akko wasn’t sure how she could think about _work_ when they had more important things to think about—like baby names.

“I know! I’m just really excited! It’s our own little person, ya know?” Akko sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together. “We’ve gotta come up with a good name for them!”

Diana laughed lightly. “I’m still processing it myself.” She drummed her pen against the stack of untouched papers on her desk. “But we don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl yet. I’m not sure how we would be able to pick out something like a name.”

“Who cares about that?!” Akko challenged, clenching her fists and flashing Diana a bright grin. “You Cavendishes all have such pretty names. I bet you’ll have no problem coming up with something great, Diana!”

Diana blinked, placing her pen down. “You think I should name the baby?”

“Well, yeah!” Akko said, as though it were obvious. “You’re the one doing all the hard work. You should get to pick out the name.”

Diana leaned back in her chair, putting a hand to her chin as she said, “I appreciate the sentiment, but… I believe I would rather decline.” She smiled with a shake of her head. “I think you should name them, Akko.”

Akko paused. “Huh? Me?”

Diana nodded. “We already agreed that our children would take my surname, did we not?” She folded her hands on top of her desk. “I think it’s only fair for you to pick their given name.”

Well, Akko certainly hadn’t expected that.

She had always assumed Diana would be the one to name whatever children they had. She figured it was their unspoken agreement upon deciding the child would carry her family name. Plus, Diana was _literally_ carrying the burden of birthing their child—all so Akko wouldn’t need to put a halt on her career. For everything Diana was doing, she deserved to at least pick out a name she liked.

Besides, all of the Cavendishes had super fancy British old people names. There was no way Akko would be able to come up with something like _that_.

Akko laughed nervously, waving her hands. “No way! You’d probably pick something way better than I would, Diana!” she tried to reason, rubbing at the back of her neck. “You’re doing all of this ‘cause of me anyways. You deserve to name them!”

“I’m doing this because I _want_ to do this, Akko,” Diana replied, standing up from behind her desk to approach her wife. “And even if that weren’t the case, my pregnancy has nothing to do with who deserves to pick a name.” She placed a hand on Akko’s shoulder reassuringly. “We’re in this together.”

The idea still didn’t sit right with Akko. She had never even thought about being the one to name their children before. It felt like such an important job—it’d be something they were stuck with for their entire life. The last thing she wanted was to mess it up because she actually had bad taste in baby names or something.

Akko frowned, poking her index fingers together. “Still… a name is kind of a big deal.” She hesitantly glanced at Diana. “You sure you can trust me with something like that?”

“I know I can,” Diana assured, giving Akko’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Whatever name you pick will be perfect.”

Akko pursed her lips, nervously shifting her feet. She still felt unsure about the whole thing, but if Diana insisted then she supposed she could at least give it some thought. She would just need to look into super fancy British old people names—their child _did_ need a name befitting of a Cavendish, after all.

Akko took a deep breath, offering Diana a confident nod. “Okay. I’ll do my best!”

Diana gave Akko a warm smile in response, which was enough to leave her feeling a little more comfortable with the whole thing. She would try to think of the best name possible—one that would make her, Diana, and their future child proud.

That was when a thought occurred to her. The best thought _ever_. It was so obvious—how hadn’t she thought of it sooner?

Akko grinned devilishly. “You know, if it’s a girl—!”

Diana deadpanned, and before Akko could even finish that sentence, said, “We are _not_ naming our baby Chariot.”

* * *

Akko couldn’t take her eyes off of the piece of paper in her hands. She couldn’t remember the last time a picture made her so happy. Actually, ‘happy’ was an understatement. Akko was super duper _elated_. Her soul was singing and her heart was just about ready to explode with joy. This was, without a doubt, the best picture Akko had ever seen in her entire life.

“For how much longer do you intend to stare at that?”

Akko let out an excited squeal as she hugged the paper to her chest. “ _Forever_. Lookit!” She shoved the picture in Diana’s face for the twelfth time that afternoon. “That’s our _little girl_!”

After what felt like eons of waiting, Akko and Diana had finally learned the sex of their baby-to-be. Akko had previously insisted that she wanted it to be a surprise, but broke the moment Diana’s doctor had asked if they wanted to know. And now there they were, sitting together in the living room of the Cavendish Manor, soon to be mothers of their own daughter.

Akko looked at the image of the sonogram again. She couldn’t get over it. She could hardly even make out the shape of a person in the last one they got. But this time she could really see it: Her little fingers and feet. The spot where her tiny nose was forming. This was a whole baby that _they_ had made together. Akko was bubbling with excitement.

“I think she looks like you, Diana!”

Diana glanced at the picture from over Akko’s shoulder. “I’m not sure how you’re able to tell.”

Akko puffed out her chest with pride. “Because it’s totally obvious!”

“I suppose we’ll see about that when she arrives,” Diana noted, pressing a finger against Akko’s nose. “But before then, she still needs a name, you know.”

Akko froze up. “Oh. Yeah, that’s right. I’m doing… that.”

She looked down at the picture in her hands again. Despite all of her excitement, she actually still hadn’t given a name much thought. Maybe her nerves about the whole thing resulted in her sticking it on the backburner. But now that they knew they were having a girl, it only made sense to really start thinking about it.

“Have you narrowed down your list at all?” Diana asked skeptically, probably having noticed the very obvious look of distress on Akko’s face.

“Well…” Akko mused, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “Are you _sure_ Chariot isn’t an option?”

Diana didn’t answer that question, instead responding by giving a tired look that spoke a million words in its place.

Akko puffed her cheeks. “It’s a good name…”

“Not for our child,” Diana sighed, rubbing her temple. “Really, now—don’t you at least have a few in mind?”

“I mean… maybe? Kind of?” Akko groaned, throwing her head back against the sofa. “It’s just hard! There are so many!”

Any time Akko so much as glanced at a list of baby names she felt overwhelmed. At least now that they knew they weren’t having a boy, she could eliminate a good half of them… Even if that still _did_ leave hundreds of thousands of billions of girl names to pick from.

She inwardly wondered if it would be weird to just name the kid ‘Atsuko Junior’ and be done with the whole thing. Guys did it with their sons all the time, so why couldn’t she do it with her daughter? Atsuko was a pretty great name, after all. However, upon glancing at Diana, Akko somehow had the sinking suspicion that she wouldn’t be crazy about _that_ idea, either.

Akko’s eyes searched the room, hoping to find some sign from above that would whisper her unborn child’s name in her ear like magic. Fortunately, that sign appeared far faster than Akko anticipated as her eyes settled on a framed photograph placed on the mantle across the room.

Of course! That was _it_! If Diana wasn’t going to let her name the baby after herself or Chariot, then there was someone else she would _definitely_ let her name the baby after.

“Hey, I know!” Akko blurted out, jumping out of her seat and gesturing to the photograph. “Since we know we’re having a girl, what if we named her after your mom? Bernadette’s a great name!”

Bingo! Akko knew how much Diana loved and respected her mother—so naming their child in her honor was the perfect solution. Diana was going to love it _and_ Akko wouldn’t need to think of a name herself. She’d be killing two birds with one stone. It was probably the third best idea she had ever had in her life (only behind 1. applying to Luna Nova and 2. putting her socks in the microwave before going out in the snow).

Diana didn’t seem as impressed, though. She paused, furrowing her brows in thought as she also looked to the picture in question—her parents on their wedding day. “I... suppose that’s one option.”

That wasn’t quite the reaction Akko had been expecting. She tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” Diana shook her head. “It’s just… my mother was my mother. This child is a new life.” She looked down at her stomach, where a noticeable bump had started to take shape. She gently rested her hand against it. “Carrying on the Cavendish name alone is already no easy task. I wouldn’t want her feeling as if she’s living in my mother’s shadow by having her namesake, too.”

Oh.

Akko’s heart sank. It seemed obvious when Diana put it that way—of course it wasn’t as simple as being named after a loved one when it came to being a Cavendish. A name carried weight, and a name like ‘Bernadette Cavendish’ certainly had a lot of extra weight that came along with it. It wouldn’t be fair to put all of that on their kid right from the start.

Akko frowned, crossing her arms. “I guess I didn’t think of it like that,” she muttered, plopping back down on the sofa. “And here I thought it was a good idea.” Her shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry.”

Diana cracked a smile. “Don’t be. I’m not trying to say it’s a bad idea. In fact, I’m touched that you would even consider it,” she assured, reaching over and grasping Akko’s hand in her own. “But at the end of the day, she’s more than the Cavendish legacy—she’s our daughter; just as much yours as she is mine. I want her name to carry something from _you_ , too, Akko.”

Diana’s eyes were soft and warm, enough to quell the anxiety that had begun to stir in Akko’s core. She understood what Diana was trying to say—while having a name like Cavendish wasn’t a simple matter, perhaps having something that would make her more of a Kagari would help her relieve some of that burden.

Akko reciprocated Diana’s grip, giving her a small smile. “Okay. I’ll keep trying.”

Diana seemed to approve of that answer as she relaxed and leaned against Akko’s shoulder. “For what it’s worth,” she started quietly, intertwining their fingers. “I think Bernadette would be a lovely middle name.”

* * *

“Philomena? What kind of a name is _Philomena_?”

As it turned out, UniqueBabyNames.com was full of baby names that were certainly… _unique_. And as Akko scrolled through the 15th page of names on her phone, she found herself wondering if perhaps they were a little _too_ unique. Some of them didn’t even sound like names—just a jumbled mess of letters trying to make something that resembled a sound.

“Akko…” Diana sighed from her side of the bed, glancing up from the book she was reading.

“I’m just saying—you’ve gotta be some kind of parent to give your kid a name like _that_ ,” Akko snorted, tossing her phone aside. She scooted closer to Diana, rubbing a hand against her now very pregnant belly. “Don’t you worry, _Mame-chan_ ,” she cooed. “I’m not gonna give you a dumb name.”

Diana rolled her eyes, closing her book. “At this point we might as well call her ‘Mame’.”

“Don’t be silly!” Akko snipped, lightly flicking Diana’s forehead. “ _Mame_ means ‘bean’! We can’t name our kid ‘bean’!” She turned her nose up. “It’s just my placeholder.”

“All right, then—what _will_ we name her?” Diana pressed, flicking Akko right back in the temple.

Akko closed an eye, swatting Diana’s hand away. “Not Philomena.”

Diana narrowed her eyes, resting a hand on top of her stomach. “You are aware that she’s going to be here in less than a month and we still don’t have a name, aren’t you?”

Akko groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I know, I know!”

It wasn’t like Akko hadn’t been thinking about it. In fact, she’d been thinking about it a lot. Like, almost 36 and a half times per day a lot. But every time she felt like she was getting closer to finding the right name, her mind would get swept up in anxiety.

What if a name that she thought was super cool was actually super _dumb_? She didn’t want to name her something that she liked but that the baby would end up hating once she was old enough to understand.

If only the baby could—

Akko gasped, perking up and clapping her hands together. “Hey, maybe the baby has her own name in mind!” She bent down, cupping Diana’s stomach between her hands as she pressed an ear against it. “You can tell me, _Mame-chan_. I’m listening!”

Akko waited with baited breath for a long moment. Okay, it wasn’t like she actually expected the baby to talk back to her—but she figured maybe she could hear something that would just _strike_ her with inspiration. Maybe the baby could give her some kind of sign or hint or _something_ for what she wanted her name to be, even inadvertently.

But the only thing Akko could hear was the usual swishing sounds that came with pressing your ear against someone else’s gut—even if that gut _did_ contain an infant the size of a grapefruit.

She whined, slumping her cheek against Diana. “Nothing…”

Diana rolled her eyes, running her fingers through Akko’s hair. “I do wish you’d take this seriously.”

“I am! It’s just a lot of pressure!” Akko shot back with a pout. “I’m worried! What if I pick something dumb and then she hates it? She’d be cursed with a terrible name for the rest of her life because of me!” She sat up, pulling at the ends of her hair in stress. “Then she’d resent me and turn to teenage rebellion and I’d be the worst mom _ever_ and—!”

Diana put a finger to Akko’s lips. “You’re overthinking it, love. I assure you that won’t happen.”

Akko slumped against the pillows in their bed. She knew Diana was right. It wasn’t like anyone got a say in what their parents named them. And the odds of their child outright hating whatever name Akko ended up picking for her were highly unlikely.

But...

Akko frowned, shifting. “Still… it’s like… this name is kinda the first thing I get to give her, you know? Like her first present from me, sort of. I want it to be good.” She clenched at the bed sheets. “I don’t wanna mess this up. Like, what if it totally doesn’t fit her at all?”

Diana remained quiet for a moment, then glanced at Akko with a smile. “Then why don’t you wait?”

Akko raised a brow. “Wait? For what?”

“Wait until she’s born,” Diana clarified. “Perhaps once you see her you’ll just know.”

Wait until she was born…?

Well, it wasn’t the worst idea in the world.

The thought of getting to see the baby first and then naming her did help to ease some of Akko’s worries. If she could see her first, then she’d at least be able to tell if she looked more like a Jane or—heaven forbid—a Philomena. At the very least, she wouldn’t be stuck with a name that didn’t fit her.

But then what would happen if she looked at the baby and felt just as clueless as she had every moment leading up to her arrival? What if their child ended up going without a name for weeks or months or _years_!? How could she be absolutely _sure_ without a doubt that she’d be able to pick the perfect name just by looking at her?

Sometimes she wondered if Diana expected too much of her. This whole thing would be so much simpler if she just named the baby herself.

Akko offered Diana a lopsided smile. “You’d really trust me to pull that off?”

Diana nudged her shoulder against Akko’s. “You’ve pulled off crazier things.”

Her unyielding faith in Akko never seemed to falter in the slightest. It didn’t help that Diana was just as bullheaded as she was—if she wanted Akko to name that baby then she would stay set in her ways until she did.

Akko lulled her head from side to side. “I guess I could give it a shot,” she conceded, pressing her hand against Diana’s stomach once more. “But if our baby goes nameless for a week then I’m blaming you.”

Diana laughed. “I don’t think that will happen,” she assured, placing her hand over Akko’s. “I trust you.”

As she said that, Akko felt a small kick against their hands. Maybe that was their child’s way of trying to tell Akko that she trusted her, too. Probably not. Akko could imagine it, at least. Maybe by some strange miracle, Akko _would_ look at their child and just know her name. Maybe Diana was onto something.

A little.

* * *

The entire day seemed to happen in a hurricane. Much to everyone’s surprise, Diana’s contractions started a week early—well into the late hours of the night, no less. The Cavendish Manor, which had been still with sleep one moment, was bustling with frantic staff the next. By the time the family doctor had arrived, the house was alive with excitement.

Unfortunately, it would take many, _many_ more hours for their baby to make her grand entrance into the world.

Diana was strong, Akko knew that better than anyone. She kept a good front and a stern poker face—but even she could only take so much. Every sharp intake of breath or cry of pain left Akko feeling utterly useless. She wished there was more she could do beyond holding her hand and using what little bit of soothing magic she knew to ease her contractions.

Akko wasn’t sure when the sun had risen and then set again—it was all such a haze: The staff coming and going with water and piles of towels. The words of encouragement and praise from the family doctor. Diana’s pained gasps and stifled cries. Everything blended together in a storm that felt like it would never end.

And then there she was.

The wail that rang throughout the room cut the fog that had flooded Akko’s mind like a knife. Her thoughts were running a mile a minute as she tried to process the ten thousand emotions she was feeling at once while watching the actually _real_ baby crying in the doctor’s hands. Her heart could have exploded like a firework with all of the love she immediately felt upon seeing her daughter for the first time.

She barely even registered the doctor asking her if she wanted to cut the cord. She had been so distracted with the awe she felt for their new child that it went in one ear and out the other—it took the prompting of one of the Cavendish staff to get her attention. But with teary eyes and fumbling hands she did it. And as she watched the doctor carefully lay the wailing infant atop Diana’s chest, she couldn’t find the proper words to speak. Anything that came out of her mouth was a sobbing, nonsensical mess of English and Japanese.

Diana laughed lightly through her tears. “Hello, darling…” she greeted softly, running her fingers against the baby’s hair.

Akko sniffed, her lip quivering as she watched the infant continue to cry and squirm against Diana. “She’s so little…” she blubbered, finally able to produce a coherent sentence.

“I know,” Diana choked, adjusting the towel wrapped around their daughter. “She’s perfect.”

Staff members were rushing in and out of the room, the buzz of chatter filling the halls of the manor. The doctor was scribbling away on her clipboard, not far from Diana’s bedside, exchanging words with probably the most emotional Anna Akko had ever seen. But despite all of the commotion, Akko’s whole world felt like it was only revolving around the two people in front of her.

She had always known how incredible Diana was; she out-preformed everyone in school and was basically a magic prodigy. But this was something else—a different kind of incredible. She had brought _life_ into the world, and a beautiful one, at that. She had never seen anything like it.

Akko leaned in, nuzzling her forehead against Diana’s temple. “Thank you, Diana. You’re so, totally, super amazing,” she praised in a quiet voice. “I love you so much.”

Diana closed her eyes, letting out a content sigh and leaning into Akko. “I love you, too.”

As their daughter continued to cry, Diana's attention was brought back on to her. She hushed and soothed her, rubbing her back and whispering words against her ear Akko couldn’t quite make out.

The baby’s crying finally began to settle with Diana’s comforting, and Akko felt as if she could actually get a good look at her for the first time. Her red eyes squinted up at Diana as she carefully caressed the brown hair atop her head. Akko knew without a doubt those colors were hers—but her nose, her face, her ears... it was obvious who she _really_ looked like.

Akko smiled, using her sleeve to wipe away her tears that continued to fall. “I was right,” she managed, reaching over to rub her finger against the baby’s cheek. “She looks just like you.”

“Maybe a little,” Diana said, letting out a breathy laugh. “But I can’t believe she’s a brunette.”

Akko grinned with pride at that, running her fingertips over the baby’s hair. “I guess the Kagari genes were the ones to finally bring down the Cavendishes.”

Diana’s expression softened, never taking her eyes off of their child. “Yes,” she said quietly, closing her eyes and pressing her nose against the baby’s forehead. “I suppose so.”

Akko’s heart fluttered in her chest as she watched them. The baby was still damp and messy, as she had yet to have her first bath. Her skin was slowly beginning to find its color—blotchy patches of red, pink, and white covering her. Diana’s face was flushed, sweat still dripping down her forehead and temples. Her hair, which she normally took the utmost care of, was in a state of disarray the likes of which Akko hadn’t seen.

And yet, Akko knew she had never set eyes on something so beautiful before.

Diana, who had worked so hard to bring the child that she now held in her arms into the world. And that child herself, who was the tiny, perfect mixture of them both. During that moment, Akko’s heart felt so fulfilled in a way she didn’t even think possible.

The three of them were a family, and to her, that was beautiful.

“Aya…”

Diana blinked, looking up at Akko. “What…?”

Akko paused. Had she said that out loud? She hadn’t been thinking. It just sort of slipped out. But… something about it felt… _right_? She didn’t really know how to explain it—it just came to her. And the more time she spent looking at the infant cradled in Diana’s arms the more right it felt.

“Oh,” Akko started hesitantly, poking her fingers together, “I was just thinking maybe that could be her name.”

Diana’s eyes widened in surprise at that response, looking from Akko and then to the baby. Suddenly Akko felt a bit silly. Maybe Diana didn’t like it. She could feel the burning red that was undoubtedly flushing her cheeks.

“I mean, I know it’s Japanese and stuff but… I think it maybe fits her, and well...” She rambled, scrunching her shoulders and lowering her voice as she said, “Is it bad…?”

Diana stayed quiet, looking down at their daughter. A smile found its way onto her lips as she shook her head, her expression softening. “No. It’s perfect.” She caressed the baby’s cheek with her finger. “Don’t you think so, Aya?”

Aya let out a small whine leaning into Diana’s touch, to which Diana responded with a quiet laugh. “I think she agrees,” she decided, looking back to Akko. “Aya’s a wonderful name, Akko.”

Akko’s heart practically lept into her throat. Nine months worth of stressing and anxiety seemed to melt away in the blink of an eye. Diana had been right—just looking at their daughter and going with the name she felt was right ended up being what she needed. She was beautiful, and she deserved a name worthy of that. Nothing would fit her better.

Akko’s eyes brightened. “Okay, then…” she started, sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping an arm around Diana’s shoulders. “Aya, it is.”

Diana sunk into Akko’s embrace, resting her head against Akko’s shoulder. As she did, Akko reached over, rubbing her finger against Aya’s little hand. Aya responded by wrapping her own fingers around it. Akko’s heart skipped a beat as a gleeful warmth spread throughout her entire being.

Leaning in just the slightest, Akko finally said something she had been eagerly waiting to say for months.

“ _Aya,_ ” she started, her smile growing as she gently took Aya’s hand within her own, “ _hajimemashite_.”

* * *

_End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the meanings for the name "Aya" is "beautiful"!


	4. In Which Diana Defeats Monsters

“You said it’s in here?” Akko asked, sliding open the closet door. She poked her head inside, investigating to see if anything looked amiss—though it was probably difficult for her to tell in the dimly lit bedroom.

“Uh-huh,” Aya squeaked, tightly clutching the bottom of Diana’s nightgown with trembling hands.

A long, tired breath escaped Diana as she watched Akko get down on her hands and knees to search every corner of the closet. This little activity was becoming more and more of a regular occurrence in their home as of late.

At three-years-old (three-and- _a-half_ -years-old, Aya would correct), Aya was a bright little girl. She worked exceptionally hard in preschool, was well-mannered, and near-fluent in two different languages. However, she couldn’t seem to shake this fear of monsters she had recently developed.

No matter how many times Akko or Diana had tried to assure her that monsters weren’t real, Aya’s fears persisted. The fact that she was also terribly afraid of the dark didn’t help to quell those worries either. She kept _two_ nightlights in her room and still couldn’t sleep soundly through the night.

So there they all stood at one in the morning—dressed in pajamas as a terrified Aya watched Akko crawling through her closet as though she were part of a crime scene investigation unit. To say the least, Diana was exhausted.

“Hm,” Akko hummed, putting a hand to her chin. “Yep. Definite signs of monsters here.”

Gasping, Aya bolted to hide behind her mother. Diana dangerously narrowed her eyes on Akko, placing her hands on her hips.

Her wife was treading on thin ice right now. _Very._ _Thin. Ice._

Akko, however, was completely unfazed by her hard stare. Instead, she grinned, lifting something small and black off of the closet floor. “This right here? Monster poop.”

Hesitantly, Aya poked her head out from behind Diana to get a better look. Her mouth gaped open—her expression somewhere between shocked and offended. “That’s my sock!”

Feigned confusion painted Akko’s face as she looked at the tiny sock in her hand. “Is it?” she asked, flashing Aya a grin as she tossed the sock into her face. “Maybe I got confused cause it’s so stinky.”

Aya let out a small squeal of laughter, swatting the sock away from her face. “No!”

Akko shrugged, rising to her feet and brushing her legs off. “Welp, if you say that’s not monster poop, then that means there’s no monster.”

Aya rapidly shook her head. “There is!” she protested. “I sawed it!”

With a deep sigh, Diana crouched down to Aya’s level. “Darling, you know monsters aren’t real,” she assured, placing a hand on her daughter’s cheek. “Your bedroom is perfectly safe.”

Aya pursed her lips. “But it _is_ real…” she whimpered. “It’s scary…”

In the pit of her chest, Diana could feel her heart sinking. There were fewer things she hated more than seeing her daughter frightened or upset, but there didn’t seem to be any way of convincing her that there was nothing in her closet beyond clothes and toys.

She exchanged looks with Akko, who had been watching Aya with an equal amount of sympathy. But her sympathetic gaze was brief, as a newfound sparkle gleamed in her eyes—a sparkle that Diana had grown all too familiar with over the years.

She resisted the urge to groan.

Akko spun on her heel to face the closet again. “Then that only leaves one thing to do,” she declared, reaching into the pocket of her sweatpants to retrieve her wand. “Stand back, fair maidens! I’ll handle this!”

Aya perked up, knowing quite well where this was going. “Be careful, Mama!”

Akko flashed her a grin and a thumbs up. “I always am!” she declared, flinging the closet door open again and charging inside. “Here I come, Mr. Monster!”

With that, the door slammed shut behind her. Moments later something that Diana could only describe as a _commotion_ could be heard coming from inside. Sounds of thumping and banging mixed with Akko’s dramatic cries of _‘oh no!’_ and _‘get back here!’_ were muffled behind the closet door. Diana silently prayed that whatever mess Akko was making could be cleaned up before Anna saw it.

Aya kept her eyes glued to the door, hugging Diana’s leg in anticipation as she waited for Akko’s return. She would occasionally shout a small cheer of encouragement or gasp in shock as Akko’s fierce battle with the ‘monster’ reached its climax. And, as badly as Diana _wanted_ to be annoyed with the antics, she couldn’t help the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Suddenly, there was a bright green flash of light beneath the door’s crack. Diana recognized it as a basic illumination spell, but what Akko shouted into the closet void suggested it was supposed to be anything but:

“ _Monster-o Away-o_!”

Then there was silence. Aya waited with baited breath and wide eyes as the door slowly creaked open. Her face brightened as Akko took a prideful step back into the bedroom. Her long hair was now a tangled mess and she was covered in Aya’s clothes and toys (for dramatic effect, Diana was sure), but there she stood in all her pretend glory.

Akko bowed dramatically. “Your closet is safe, princess.”

Finally letting go of Diana, Aya excitedly rushed to Akko. “The monster didn’t getted you?!”

“Of course not!” Akko grinned, happily accepting her embrace. “I’m Mama the Monster Slayer, aren’t I?” Hoisting Aya up into her arms, Akko strode back over to the open closet and gestured a hand toward the inside. “See? No more monsters here.”

Aya lit up, happy with the results as she quickly wrapped her arms around Akko’s neck. “ _Arigatou_!”

Akko squeezed Aya back just as tight. “ _Mondai nai, Mame-chan_ ,” she responded, pulling away from the hug to look at Aya seriously. “Now, how about you be a big girl and sleep in your bed now, huh?”

Aya lulled her head from side to side, seeming to ponder on the thought before finally conceding with an, “Okay.”

Getting Aya back into bed was a far easier task than before thanks to Akko vanquishing the ‘monster’. She sunk beneath her sheets and rested her head against the pillows with ease. Diana and Akko both said their final goodnights to her as she began to drift off to sleep.

But as the pair exited the room, quietly closing the door behind them, something still didn’t sit right with Diana.

“Akko…” she sighed as the door clicked shut.

Akko arched a brow. “What?”

Diana folded her arms in front of her chest, putting on as serious of a look as she could muster. “If you keep doing that then she’s going to think that there really _are_ monsters in her room,” she said point blank, causing Akko to blink in surprise. “We can’t allow this to turn into any more of a routine than it already is.”

Akko rolled her eyes, giving Diana a light slap on the back. “Aw, c’mon, Diana. She’s three-years-old!” she countered with a shrug. “What’s wrong with pretending to fight a few monsters for her now and then? It’s fun!”

“For you, perhaps. But what about Aya?” Diana challenged, brushing Akko off. “If she thinks your little act is real then she’ll go to bed frightened every night.”

The last thing Diana wanted was to come off as being a spoil-sport or a fun-sucker (both terms that Akko had used to describe her on _many_ occasions). However, simply seeing how frightened her child was when going to bed each night sparked her more protective maternal instincts to kick in. She had to put her foot down. Akko may have known it was all just fun and games, but that didn’t mean Aya did.

“Diana. You’re overthinking it,” Akko argued plainly, side-stepping in front of her. “She’s just a little kid.” She placed a hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Even if we _did_ tell her there aren’t any monsters in her room—which we’ve _tried_ , by the way—she wouldn’t believe us. Isn’t it better to just play pretend and let her go to bed feeling safe?”

Easing up at Akko’s touch, Diana let out a small breath. “I… suppose I understand your point,” she conceded, shaking her head. “But still, it doesn’t mean we should encourage these thoughts.” She frowned. “What happens when you’re not here to fight them off for her?”

Clutching Diana’s shoulder a little tighter, Akko offered her a lopsided grin. “Then you’ll take care of it for me, won’t you?”

Diana paused. While she wanted Aya to feel safe and secure at night, putting on the act of the hero fighting off scary monsters was much more suited to _Akko’s_ specialties than it was to her own. She wasn’t exactly sure how she was supposed to ‘take care of it’ beyond the things she had already tried that Aya wouldn’t listen to.

But before Diana had the chance to respond, Akko gave her a nudge, beckoning her forward. “C’mon,” she said, striding down the hall. “How about we head to bed ourselves?”

* * *

“You’re sure you have everything? You didn’t leave _anything_ at home this time?”

The airport terminal for departing flights was crowded—people rushing in and out of the automated sliding doors with luggage rolling behind them. Diana held onto Aya’s hand tightly, not wanting her to wander off into the crowd as they watched Akko pull the last of her bags out of the trunk of their car.

“Yes, _dear_ ,” Akko drawled mockingly, only to pause a second later, furrowing her brows in thought. “I think…”

The silence that fell as Akko shuffled through her things left Diana wondering if they really _would_ need to turn the car around. But Akko was quick to recover with a wave of her hand. “Yeah, I’m sure!” she said with a confident grin. “Jeeze, you have no faith in me.”

“For good reason,” Diana sighed in relief, pressing a finger to her temple. “You should get going. I don’t want you missing your check-in.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Akko agreed, shutting the trunk and lifting her bags onto the sidewalk.

As Akko got her things together, Diana felt Aya’s hand squeeze her fingers. Looking down at her daughter, she noticed the way she shifted and frowned, never taking her eyes off of Akko.

Akko took notice of it as well. She crouched down to Aya’s level, poking her nose. “Hey, _Mame-chan_ , what’s with the long face?”

Aya looked to the ground, tightening her grip on Diana’s hand. “I don’t want you to go…”

The moment that both Diana and Akko had known was coming finally arrived. Akko had been traveling to go on tours with her magic show since Aya was an infant—she used to be so little that she hardly noticed when Akko was gone. However, the older Aya got, the more difficult Akko’s departures became.

While this occasion wasn’t expected to be one of her longer tours, Akko would still be spending all of July in Japan for their summer festival season. It was a good opportunity to showcase magic in a part of the world that was still becoming acquainted with it. But to a small child, a few weeks may as well have been a lifetime.

“It’s only for a couple of weeks,” Akko assured. “Once my shows are over I’ll be right back!”

Aya’s lip began to quiver as she rubbed at her eye with a fist. “How come you can’t do them here?”

Diana exchanged frowns with Akko. No matter how many times they went through this conversation, it never got any easier. In fact, no matter how many times Diana herself had to see Akko leave over the years, it never got easier for her to deal with, either. She could only imagine what that must have felt like for a three-year-old.

But Akko managed to stay just as composed as she always did, her chipper smile spreading from ear to ear. “Well, you know how magic makes you super duper happy? And how it makes you smile really, really big? Like this?” she asked, using her fingers to turn Aya’s frown upside down.

Aya giggled, giving a small nod as she swatted Akko’s hand away. Akko used it to ruffle her hair instead.

“Don’t you want people all over the world to feel that way, too?” Akko questioned gently. “Because maybe there’s someone out there who’s really sad, and magic will make them feel all better.” She moved her hand from Aya’s hair to her shoulder, gripping it firmly. “That’s why I’ve gotta go.”

Aya blinked once. Twice. Three times. She looked as though she was processing some very meaningful, newfound information in that little head of hers. She scrunched her brows together in thought, staying silent for a long moment. Then her expression softened into something that was a mix of both sadness and understanding.

She gave a resigned nod. “Okay…”

“I’ll be back before you know it, I promise,” Akko swore, crossing her fingers over her heart. “And until then we can talk on the phone every night, okay?”

As if suddenly remembering something important, Aya perked up, her face stitched with fear. “But what about the monsters?”

Akko blinked. “The monsters?”

“In my closet!” Aya sniffled, sinking into herself. “They’re scary…”

Diana pressed her lips into a hard line. Of course the monsters were going to be an issue—an issue that she had already _tried_ sorting out with Akko. This was the exact situation that she was worried about. Without Akko around to fight off the ‘monsters’ in Aya’s closet at night, Diana wasn’t sure how she would handle it on her own. Any time she had tried in the past ended with Aya sleeping in their bed anyways.

This would be a challenge.

“Don’t worry,” Akko encouraged, glancing up at Diana with a wink. “Mummy will take care of them for you. She’s super brave.”

Diana took a pause, giving Akko a look of uncertainty, but ultimately decided not to address the comment in front of Aya. Not that Akko was planning on giving her the chance to, as she suddenly stretched out her arms wide.

“Now, gimme the biggest hug you can!” Akko grinned, and Aya took the opportunity to grapple her in the tightest hug a three-year-old could manage. Akko closed her eyes, nuzzling her nose into Aya’s hair. “ _Ittekimasu_.”

Aya grasped at the back of Akko’s shirt, burying her face further into her neck with a whimper. “ _Itterasshai_ …” she responded, her voice quiet and watery.

Monsters or not, Diana knew that Aya was trying her best to be strong for Akko, but it still tore her heart in two to see her like this. Akko allowed the embrace to linger for a few moments longer before finally loosening her grip on Aya and rising back onto her feet.

Diana stepped closer to Akko, straightening out the wrinkles that Aya had left on her shirt. “Be safe, all right?”

“When am I not?”

Diana forced out a light laugh. “Don’t make me answer that,” she responded, cupping Akko’s cheeks between her hands and placing a soft kiss against her lips. “I love you.”

Akko leaned forward, allowing her forehead to touch Diana’s as she said, “I love you, too.” She flicked her eyes up to meet Diana’s, grasping her hand in her own. “I’ll be home soon.”

As Akko pulled away and gathered their things, the family said their final goodbyes. Akko continued to turn around and wave at Aya until she walked through the double doors and disappeared from sight. She had only been gone for moments, but to Diana it already felt far too long.

The sound of sniffling drew Diana from her thoughts. Upon looking down at her side she saw Aya whimpering with a quivering lip, repeatedly wiping at her eyes with the palm of her hand. Diana’s frown deepened and she bent over, lifting her daughter into her arms. Aya buried her face into Diana’s shoulder, holding onto her tightly.

“I know, darling,” Diana soothed, pressing her nose against Aya’s temple as she rubbed her back. “I’ll miss her, too.”

* * *

“Mummy? _Mummy_ …”

The voice came in a distant whisper, almost leaving Diana to wonder if she was still dreaming. But the gentle shaking of her arm was enough to make her eyes groggily peel open. Though her room was dark and her vision blurred at first, she could see the outline of a child standing at her bedside.

“Aya?” Diana rasped, propping herself up on her elbow and looking to the crystal ball on her nightstand. She sighed, rubbing her face. “It’s one in the morning, love. Why are you awake this late?”

Aya pouted, tightening her grip on the stuffed dog in her arms. “The monster…” she whispered, glancing nervously out Diana’s bedroom door, “he’s back…”

A faint, tired groan escaped Diana’s throat. Akko hadn’t even been gone for 12 hours and it appeared as though she was already expected to find a solution to this issue. “Aya, there aren’t any monsters.”

“Yes there is,” Aya argued, hiding her face behind the dog she was holding. “I sawed him in my closet…”

Diana frowned, reaching over to stroke Aya’s hair. “It was probably just a shadow, dear,” she reasoned. “You need to go back to sleep. It’s too late for you to be awake right now.”

“But the monster…” Aya whimpered, peering over the top of the dog’s head to look at Diana, “he’s there…”

She wasn’t sure if it was Aya’s big, red, tearful eyes or just plain exhaustion with the situation that caused it, but somehow Diana found herself pulling off the covers and crawling her way out of bed. “All right,” she conceded, taking her daughter’s hand into her own. “Let’s see it, then.”

With that, Aya eagerly led Diana out of the room, down the hallway, and to the door of her own bedroom. Once Diana opened the door, Aya promptly grabbed her mother’s nightgown and hid behind her. Diana stepped into the room and looked around, expectedly noticing nothing out of the ordinary.

“In there…” Aya whispered, pointing a shaky finger at her closet.

Diana flicked the light on and approached the part of the bedroom that Aya had become so fearful of. She opened the door and looked inside, moving clothes and toys out of the way to reveal the entirely empty back wall of the closet.

“There’s nothing there,” Diana noted, coaxing Aya forward so she could look into the closet for herself, “see?”

“It’s ‘cause he’s hiding!” Aya countered, refusing to move from her spot behind her mother. “You gotta do the magic spell to make him go away—like Mama!”

“Aya…” Diana sighed, rubbing her temple.

“Please…?” Aya pleaded, staring up at Diana with those same big red eyes from before.

Diana inwardly winced. There was no way she would be able to pull off the same act that Akko always did—but maybe just the spell alone would be enough to satisfy Aya. After all, that was ultimately what made the monster ‘go away’, wasn’t it?

Taking a deep breath, Diana retrieved her wand and pointed it at the open closet door. Aya blinked, tightening her grip on Diana’s nightgown as she watched in anticipation. Diana steadied herself and wondered why, for a brief instant, she felt _nervous_ about performing a _pretend_ spell for a three-year-old.

She couldn’t believe she was actually about to do this.

“Monster begone-o!”

A long stretch of silence filled the room as Aya looked from Diana, to the closet, and then back at Diana again, as if waiting for something more to happen. When nothing else came, Aya scrunched her face in displeased confusion.

“...That’s not the spell.”

* * *

“ _She actually said that to you!?_ ”

Akko’s booming voice assaulted Diana’s eardrums through her cellphone’s speaker. The pounding migraine she had developed from sleep deprivation sent a wave of nausea throughout her body as Akko barked a laugh. She winced, pulling the phone away from her ear.

“Akko, please…” Diana groaned, pinching at the bridge of her nose. “I already have a headache.”

“ _Sorry, sorry,_ ” Akko giggled. _“Man, she really is a card, huh?_ ”

“She gets it from you,” Diana huffed, glancing at their daughter, who was sound asleep in bed beside her. “As she does this ridiculous fear of monsters.”

As it turned out, Diana’s attempt at vanquishing Aya’s closet monster the night before was a complete failure. No matter how she tried, she just couldn’t manage to capture whatever Akko’s secret technique to monster fighting was—not enough to convince Aya, at least. As a result, Aya slept with her in the master bedroom for the remainder of the night.

Between monsters, bad dreams, glasses of water, and potty runs, Diana only got about half the amount of sleep she so desperately needed. Once she finally _was_ getting a decent sleep, she had been awoken by the shrill ringing of her cell phone at 7 AM. Aya hadn’t stirred a bit (fortunately), but the same couldn’t be said for Diana.

She loved her wife. Dearly. And she missed her wife. Terribly.

But by the Nine, she had never felt so tempted to press the ‘decline call’ button on her in the entire span of their marriage. Not that it was Akko’s fault—after all, if Diana was running on her usual schedule, she would have been up this early anyways.

She just thanked the heavens it was a Sunday.

“ _Every kid is afraid of monsters, Diana,_ ” Akko chided. _“You can’t tell me you were never worried about the creepy crawlies under your bed as a little girl._ ”

Diana huffed, a blush creeping its way onto her cheeks. “That is irrelevant to the current problem at hand.” She leaned back into the pillows, pressing a hand to her forehead. “If I can’t find a proper solution to handling this monster situation, then she’ll be sleeping in our bed until you get home.”

“ _Is that such a bad thing?_ ”

Diana narrowed her eyes. “ _Akko_ …”

“ _I know, I know,_ ” Akko groaned. _“But, listen, if you’re having such a hard time using my way to help Aya with monsters, you should do things your own way._ ”

Diana blinked. “My own way?”

“ _Yeah, I mean, no offense, but you’re not exactly the closet-monster-fighting-type. That’s my job,_ ” Akko laughed, and Diana could practically hear the smirk in her voice. _“You have your own ways of making Aya feel happy and safe. Use them.”_

“And what, exactly, are ‘my ways’?” Diana pressed, glancing at Aya, who had cuddled herself up against her, still sound asleep. “Enlighten me.”

“ _I think that’s for you to figure out!_ ” Akko answered, and as she did, Diana could hear a man’s voice in the background saying, _‘Ms. Kagari. 15 minutes.’_

 _“I’ll be there in five!_ ” Akko responded, then focusing her attention back onto Diana. “ _Sorry, Diana. I’ve gotta go. Almost showtime._ ”

“Very well,” Diana chuckled, holding the phone a little closer to her ear. “Good luck today. Cast a firework for me.”

 _“They’re always for you. Aya, too,_ ” Akko professed, making Diana crack a small smile. _“Tell her I said hi. I’ll call later to talk to her._ ”

“We’ll wait with baited breath. I love you.”

“ _Love you, too!_ ”

The speaker clicked and Diana placed her phone back down on the nightstand. She made a point to set it on silent this time. Laying back down, she rolled onto her side, facing Aya. Reaching out a hand, she pushed a few stray pieces of hair out of her sleeping face.

It wasn’t like Diana minded sharing her bed with her. In fact, while Akko was gone, it was rather comforting. However, she also knew that if she turned this into a habit, it would become harder and harder for Aya to break every time she felt scared. The last thing she wanted was for her to form a dependency on it.

She would just need to figure out how to get Aya to start sleeping in her own bed again, which meant finding a way to handle the ‘monsters’ in her closet. If the previous night had been an indicator of anything, she certainly wasn’t able to convincingly pull off the usual stunts that Akko did. But if that didn’t work, then what would?

_‘You have your own ways of making Aya feel happy and safe. Use them.’_

Diana sighed, reaching over and taking Aya’s hand within her own.

“My own ways, huh?”

* * *

“Now, you’re going to be a big girl and stay in your bed tonight, aren’t you?”

Diana sat on the edge of Aya’s bed. She had successfully managed to tuck her in and get her situated with three of her favorite stuffed animals. Her night lights were turned on, she had a glass of water, and had already used the toilet. Everything was taken care of except for one thing—

“But what if the monster comes back…?” Aya asked, lifting her blanket up to her nose.

“You know there aren’t any monsters, Aya,” Diana comforted, reaching over to stroke her cheek. “They’re all in your imagination.”

“Nu-uh! I sawed them!” she demurred, clutching tighter at the sheets. “I really did…”

Diana frowned. She had spent most of the day racking her brain, thinking of anything she could try to make Aya’s bedtime an easier process while Akko was gone. What could she do or say that would bring her daughter some sort of comfort?

Akko was always so brilliant with handling these sorts of things. She would just charge forward with a brave face like it was all one of her acts. She would fight monsters off as if they were really there, and somehow Aya believed her every single time. It was amazing in its own way.

Diana, on the other hand, was at a total loss. Figuring out how to comfort her own child should have been something as simple as breathing—but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to find the answer. What _did_ she do as a child when she was the one who was afraid?

She remembered the nights when she was a little girl—alone in bed and frightened by the scratching of tree branches against her window outside. Her mother would sit with her and assure her it was nothing but the wind. But being four-years-old at the time, there was no convincing her of that.

And yet her mother always seemed to know what to do anyways. Diana remembered how safe and secure she always felt when her mother would sit at her bedside, talking to her in soft whispers until she wasn’t afraid anymore. Before she knew it, her eyes would grow heavy as her mother’s voice carried her off to sleep.

That was when an idea came to her. It wasn’t guaranteed to work, but it was worth giving it a try. It wouldn’t be as grandiose as vanquishing monsters with a made-up spell, but at the very least, it might help a little.

“How would you feel... about hearing a story?” Diana asked, fixing the blankets wrapped around Aya.

Aya tilted her head. “A story…?”

“Mhm,” Diana intoned, running her fingers through Aya’s wavy brown locks of hair. “One about a brave little witch who protects people from monsters.”

Aya’s eyes sparkled. “Like Mama!”

“Yes, just like Mama,” Diana laughed lightly, settling herself in closer to Aya. “You see, the little witch wasn’t always very good with magic—she struggled casting even the simplest of spells. And whenever she would try to fly on a broom she would fall flat on her face.”

That managed to get a giggle out of Aya and Diana’s heart nearly skipped a beat. If she could get her laughing, then that was the first sign things were going in the right direction. She continued on with, “But the little witch was determined—she wanted to use magic to make people smile the same way it made her smile. So she believed with all her heart and never gave up, even with all the odds against her.”

Diana told Aya story after story of the miraculous adventures of the little witch. She told her about how she had chased after a greedy dragon who had stolen a sorcerer’s stone from a village of witches. She told her about a giant slime monster who had spent hundreds of years crying that the little witch managed to soothe. She told her about a fantastic, massive robot the little witch created with her genius friend that would fight angry spirits.

Aya loved every second of it. Her eyes sparkled and her face lit up the more Diana told her. Diana even found herself getting caught up in the dramatics of the story, too. She emphasized it in all the right places in order to make Aya gasp or laugh. Just seeing those reactions alone was enough to make Diana’s heart swell. Any bit of fear that Aya had been feeling before seemed to have melted away—because of the little witch, Aya wasn’t afraid anymore.

That gave her an idea on how to bring the story to an end.

“Then one day, a giant monster came down from the sky, threatening to take all the happiness away from the world and leave nothing except for sadness,” Diana said, and Aya frowned, clutching at her sheets.

“But the little witch wasn’t going to let that happen. With the help of her friends and the strength of her believing heart, she used the power of the stars to vanquish the monster and keep everyone safe.” Diana looked out Aya’s bedroom window to stare at the stars hanging above them in the night sky. “In doing so, she spread her magic all over the world, and now it sparkles among the stars in the sky.”

Aya blinked, following her mother’s gaze to look out at the stars. “So… that’s all magic?”

“That’s right,” she confirmed, reaching over to poke Aya’s nose. “It’s her special magic spell that protects little girls like you from all of the monsters hiding in closets, or under beds, or outside of windows. So any time you feel afraid, you just need to think about the brave little witch, and her magic stars will keep you safe.”

“Really…?” Aya asked, her eyes shining.

“Really,” Diana repeated, reaching over to caress her daughter’s cheek. “As long as she’s there to protect you, nothing can ever hurt you, love.”

Aya let her face relax into Diana’s touch, sinking further back into her pillows. “So, she’s protecting me right now?”

“She always will.”

“And,” Aya started with a big yawn, “where’s the little witch now?”

Diana smiled, standing up from Aya’s bed. “Well, I’ve heard that she travels all around the world these days,” she explained, placing another blanket over Aya. “She’s spreading magic far and wide—because the more people laugh and smile, the fewer monsters there are hiding in closets.”

Aya shut her eyes, murmuring something that Diana couldn’t quite make out. But as her face relaxed and her head sunk further into her pillows, Diana was left with the feeling that Aya was going to be all right that evening.

Reaching over, she gave Aya a soft kiss on her forehead. “Good night, darling.”

With that, Diana flicked off the lamp on Aya’s nightstand and made her way out of the room, but stopped in the doorway. She watched for a long moment as her child slept soundly. Perhaps the story wasn’t a permanent solution, but it was at least a start. And perhaps Diana wasn’t Mama the Monster Slayer, but maybe she didn’t have to be. Maybe it was enough just to share stories of a brave little witch who was always looking out for others.

Diana pulled her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled to a contact that was all too familiar to her. After three rings, the phone clicked and a cheery voice greeted her from the other end.

“ _Hey, Diana!_ ”

“Hey,” Diana responded, leaning against the doorframe. “I just wanted to tell you that I don’t think we’ll be needing to worry about monsters in our home for a while.”

“ _What? Really?_ ”

“Mhm,” Diana hummed, taking one final glance back into Aya’s bedroom as she quietly shut the door. “I think Aya knows now that she has someone who’s always watching over her.”

* * *

_End_.


	5. In Which Akko and Diana Need a Nap

She couldn’t believe it. How could this have happened? In all her years of working for Wedinburgh General, Diana had never been late—so why did that have to change _today_?

She internally cursed herself as she flung the closet doors open, frantically yanking out the first blouse she saw. She tore off her sleepwear in a flash, fumbling to slip her arms through tangled sleeves. Her ears were ringing and her head was spinning, but she ignored her body screaming at her to get back into bed as she stumbled through the room in a haze.

She was moving in such a blur that she didn’t even notice Akko sit up, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. “Diana…?” she croaked, watching her hastily tuck the blouse into her skirt as she began the search for her heels. “What are you… doing?”

“Akko—!” Diana breathed, glancing over her shoulder. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to wake you. I have to get going,” she explained hurriedly, storming over to the vanity to make sure her hair didn’t look like a _complete_ disaster. “I’m already late.”

“Late…?” Akko furrowed her brows. “Late for what?” Giving Diana a once over, she paused. “Wait, are you going into _work_?”

“Of course I am,” Diana stated, running a brush through her hair at a furious pace. She let out a frustrated growl as it caught itself in her mess of bedhead. “I can’t believe I overslept. I _never_ —!”

“Diana,” Akko started, pulling herself out of bed, “ _what_ are you talking about?”

Diana placed the brush back down onto the vanity a little more aggressively than she intended to. “Akko, I really don’t have time for this right now,” she snipped, deciding makeup wasn’t worth it. “I have to—!”

“ _Diana_ ,” Akko repeated, firmer, “even if you _wanted_ to go into work right now, I don’t think they’d let you.”

Diana looked at her wife as though she had three heads. “Why not?”

Akko opened her mouth to speak, but before she got the chance, a loud wail erupted from down the hall. Akko closed her eyes with an exhausted sigh. “...That’s why.”

Diana felt as though she had been struck by a freight train. The infant’s cries one room over brought her back to reality even faster than the way she had leapt out of bed that morning.

Letting out a long groan, Diana’s knees buckled beneath her. She collapsed, sitting on the edge of the bed. Rubbing her face, she grumbled out, “Oh. Good heavens.”

Right. Of course she couldn’t go into work. After all, it had hardly been a week since she had brought her daughter into the world. Having a newborn meant it would be a good while until she would be allowed to set foot inside of the hospital for any reason other than a checkup.

The pounding in her head and the ringing in her ears grew more intense as Diana massaged the bridge of her nose. What was she even thinking? Had she really been so scatterbrained that she assumed it to be a work day like any other?

There was a first time for everything, she supposed.

“Listen, obviously you still need some rest,” Akko reasoned, placing a hand on Diana’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go back to bed?” She gave a tired smile. “I’ve got this.”

“No, I—” Diana exhaled, massaging her temples. “She’s probably hungry, anyways. I should go.” She looked up at Akko sympathetically. “I feel badly that I woke you.” 

“Hey, I’m glad you did,” Akko giggled, crouching down in front of her. “If you hadn’t then you might’ve been halfway to Wedinburgh General by now.” She slid her hands into Diana’s, intertwining her fingers. “I’m already up, so let’s go together.”

Diana allowed herself to relax. Every part of her mind and body was howling at her to crawl back into bed and forget about her morning slip-up. But her daughter’s cries, which only grew louder by the second, were a force even stronger than her exhaustion.

Slowly, Diana reciprocated Akko’s grip and, despite the aching in her legs, rose back to her feet.

“...All right.”

* * *

The one thing Akko really liked about cereal was that everything about it was so easy. You didn’t have to cook. You only needed to dump all of that sugary goodness into a bowl and pour milk over it. Eating it was even easier, cause you didn’t need a knife or anything to cut it up—just dig in with a spoon and munch away. It was the perfect minimal effort breakfast to have when you were so tired you thought your head might fall off your shoulders.

And that particular morning Akko was, in fact, so tired she thought her head might fall off her shoulders.

The infant laying her arms didn’t seem _nearly_ as tired as Akko was, though. Funny, considering she was the one who was up screaming all night. She decided that Aya was lucky she was so darn cute—cause if she _wasn’t_ then Akko might’ve been cranky that she was running on a grand total of three hours of sleep.

Thank God for cereal.

“...Akko,” Diana coughed from her spot across the breakfast table. “Darling.”

“Huh…?” Akko blinked. “What?”

Diana’s face was twisted with some sort of mix of confusion and… sympathy? Pity? Disgust? Akko wasn’t really sure how to describe it. But she knew she hadn’t even done anything yet that morning to deserve such a look. It was weird. Diana was weird sometimes.

“Are you quite done?” Daryl’s voice snapped from the other end of the table, her icy gaze narrowing on Akko.

“With what…?”

Diana grimaced, nodding toward the bottle Akko was currently pouring over her cereal—the bottle of _orange juice_ Akko was currently pouring over her cereal. And all over the table.

Akko gritted her teeth, pushing her chair back to prevent any of the stray orange droplets from landing on the baby in her arms. “Oh, shoot—!”

“It’s okay, love,” Diana assured, picking up several napkins and handing them over. “Accidents happen.”

“This is the fourth ‘ _accident_ ’ this week,” Daryl so kindly pointed out, stabbing her fork into her eggs.

Diana deadpanned. “Aunt Daryl.”

Having noticed the commotion happening over breakfast, Anna rushed to Akko’s side. “Why don’t I take the little one for you and we’ll see about getting this cleaned up?” she offered, waving down the butler across the room. “Carter.”

“Right away,” Carter responded with a small bow, disappearing into the kitchen to get the cleaning supplies.

“Thanks, Anna,” Akko grunted, handing Aya over to her. “You’re the best.”

Anna carefully took Aya into her arms as Akko slumped into her seat. Yeah, Daryl was right, that really _was_ the fourth time that week she’d poured something that _wasn’t_ milk all over her breakfast. Yesterday it had been coffee on her eggs. The day before that it was tea on her bacon. And the day before _that_ she dumped syrup into her water.

Her brain was fried beyond belief.

Akko picked up her spoon. At least breakfast would do her some good.

Thank God for cereal.

“Ah—!” Diana gasped. “Akko!”

But as Akko put the spoon into her mouth, she paused. Something wasn’t right. Wait… Why did her Frosted Flakes taste like citrus?

* * *

Diana gently pushed open the door to the nursery, peeking inside. The last thing she wanted to do was wake Aya if she was still asleep, but something had drawn her into the room to check on her anyways. As soundlessly as possible, she made her way over to the crib, fully expecting to see Aya still sleeping inside.

But she didn’t.

The crib was empty. No baby—not even a blanket—anywhere to be found. 

She momentarily searched the room. Had Akko come in and taken her while she was sleeping? With a frustrated sigh, she turned on her heel, marching out of the nursery and straight to the living room.

Akko was sitting in an armchair, cell phone in hand, but no Aya in sight.

Diana stopped. She… really wasn’t with Akko?

“Akko. Have you seen Aya?”

Akko glanced up as her name was called, then did a double take—scrunching her nose in confusion. “...Huh?”

“Aya. I put her down for a nap about 30 minutes ago, but I checked the nursery and she wasn’t there,” Diana explained, her patience thinning. “I figured she was with you.”

“Uh…” Akko cocked a brow. “No…?”

Letting out a breath of disbelief, Diana looked around the living room. Again, no sign of her child anywhere. “Do you know where she is, then? Did Anna take her?”

“Anna’s in the kitchen with Carter…” Akko responded slowly, putting her phone down. “Diana, are you feeling okay?”

No. She most certainly was _not_ feeling okay. Half an hour ago she was laying her infant daughter down for a nap and _now_ she had no idea where said infant even was. Her thoughts were racing, attempting to think of any person who may have passed by the room.

“But… Aunt Daryl wouldn’t have gone near there, so…” Her heart raced as panic set in. “Akko, where _is_ she?”

“Diana…” Akko pressed, rising out of her seat to approach her wife. “Chill out.”

“ _Chill out_?” Diana all but snapped, and Akko recoiled. “How can I _possibly_ —?!” She inhaled deeply, knowing arguing with Akko right then was pointless. “Did you see someone else on staff move her?” she rattled on, “I haven’t seen her since—”

“ _Diana_ ,” Akko repeated firmly. “Just… look down.”

Akko wasn’t taking this seriously. Their daughter was _missing_ and she wasn’t taking this seriously. Diana needed to do everything in her power to keep herself from blowing.

“What are you—?!” Diana deflected angrily, snapping her head down to see what Akko was talking about. And that was when she was washed over with the strangest mix of relief and foolishness at the same time. “Oh my—”

Suddenly, her arms felt so much heavier—for only in that moment did she realize that cradled between them was none other than Aya herself. She was fast asleep, nestled against the fabric of Diana’s shirt.

Diana’s mind spun with confusion, trying to figure out how she couldn’t have realized that her child had been laying her arms that entire time. Had she even set Aya down to take a nap in the first place? Or had Aya just fallen asleep in her arms and seemed so content that Diana was afraid of disturbing her? But, most importantly of all, how had she gone through that whole episode without realizing she was _right there_?

 _Where_ was her head today?

“So, I’ll ask again,” Akko said carefully, placing a hand on Diana’s shoulder, “you feeling okay?”

* * *

“Okay, miss—you’re all cleaned up,” Akko stated matter-of-factly, tossing the last of the dirty baby wipes into the trash. Aya stared up at her from her spot on the changing table, kicking her tiny feet as she waited for Akko to dress her back up.

Akko smiled, turning to Diana, who was busying herself with folding clean blankets across the room. “Diana, can you pass me a…”

Huh. Wait.

What was that word again? She had it two seconds ago.

Diana glanced back at her from over her shoulder. “A what?”

“A… a…” Akko struggled to find the word. She could feel it right there on the tip of her tongue—so why couldn’t she say it?

“ _Iimasu ka?_ ” she murmured to herself, waving her hand. “ _Omutsu_.”

Diana squinted. “...What?”

Okay. Obviously she could remember the word in Japanese—but that wasn’t going to do her much good when Diana only spoke English. But _why_ couldn’t she remember that stupid word in the first place? She had been speaking English perfectly for _years_ and suddenly the word for _omutsu_ was escaping her? Of _all things_!?

“ _Omutsu wa eigo de nan to iimasu ka?_ ” Akko growled in frustration, more to herself than anyone else. She ran her hand through her bangs as Diana stared at her in concern. “Ugh! What is it?!”

She felt like an idiot. Words hardly ever escaped her anymore—especially not a word like _omutsu_ , which she had been using daily since Aya was born. Why was she forgetting such a dumb word?

What was her brain trying to do to her!?

Aya stared back up at her, contently suckling away at the pacifier in her mouth. She squeaked out a small coo, shifting on the table as she waited for Akko to put her in a clean—

It hit her like a bolt of lightning.

“A _diaper_!” Akko all but yelled, a strange sense of victory washing over her as she triumphantly snapped her fingers. “Hand me a _diaper_!”

Diana looked from Akko to the bag of new diapers sitting on the table beside her. “...You mean a nappy?”

Akko could have exploded on the spot.

“ _Whatever_!” she groaned, gripping her hair in annoyance. “Just hand it to me!”

Retrieving a fresh omutsu-diaper-nappy out of the plastic bag, a tiny smirk pulled at the corners of Diana’s mouth. “...Love, are _you_ feeling okay?”

* * *

One of the activities that Diana most enjoyed partaking in with her daughter was reading. If there was one thing the Cavendish Manor never fell short of, it was books. The library had kept mountains of books from her own childhood safe over the years. She and Akko had made it a personal mission to dig through as many of them as they could to keep in the nursery for when the baby arrived.

The one she held in her hand now had always been a personal favorite of hers when she was a young girl—it was the story of a bird who wanted to fly as high as the moon. Even if Aya didn’t understand the words yet, Diana still cherished the time she got to spend with her regardless. Aya, however, was less interested in the book’s colorful pictures and far more taken with watching Diana as she read.

“The bird asked the stars, ‘How high must I fly to reach you all?’” Diana read, slowly rocking the chair they sat in back and forth. “And so the stars responded, ‘As high as the tallest tree. As far as the largest mountaintop. As—!”

But before Diana could finish, the pacifier that Aya had been sucking on slipped out of her mouth and landed on her chest. She whined and Diana took her eyes off of the page to place it back into her mouth for her. Aya quickly settled down, her body relaxing as she began to suck on the pacifier once more.

“Where was I?” Diana murmured, focusing back onto the book.

She skimmed the page. Somehow all of the words and pictures blended together and she found herself unable to recall where she had left off. She hesitated, internally scolding herself for being unable to remember a sentence she had read less than a minute ago.

There was one phrase that stood out to her, though.

“Right,” Diana decided, continuing on with, “The bird asked the stars, ‘How high must I—”

A loud groan came from across the room where Akko was sitting on the floor, picking up Aya’s toys. She tossed a stuffed bear she was holding into the toy box and cast Diana a miffed stare.

“Diana. I love you so, _so much_ ,” she said, her voice heavy and tired. “But that bird has asked the stars how far he’s gotta fly four times now. If he hasn’t figured it out yet then I think he’d better start asking for clearer directions.”

“...What?”

Akko deadpanned. “You’ve been rereading that same page for the past five minutes.”

Oh.

 _That_ was why the phrase was so familiar. Had she truly been repeating it that much? She couldn’t possibly have done that. She was usually so diligent about texts. Rarely did she find her mind drifting like that.

“Sorry. I must keep losing my place,” Diana apologized, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”

Akko waited, watching on as Diana tried to find the last spot that she had left off on.

Hold on.

What _was_ the last part that she had read? She skimmed the page, searching for some sign of familiarity, but nothing clicked. She couldn’t remember the last line at all. _Why_ couldn’t she remember the last line?

For heaven’s sake, this was a _children’s_ book.

Ah.

There it was.

She was certain of it this time.

“...The bird asked the stars—!”

Akko rose to her feet, holding out a hand. “How about _I_ finish storytime?” she offered plainly. “I don’t think this bird is gonna get anywhere if you keep trying.” 

* * *

Aya would not stop crying.

No matter what either of them tried, Aya _would not_ stop crying. It had been at least 20 minutes and she was still going strong. Akko almost wondered where she got the lung power at one week old to manage all that noise, because it was seriously a skill to be reckoned with.

“It’s all right, darling,” Diana comforted, walking in circles around the living room as she hushed the infant in her arms. “It’s all right.”

“Hey, Aya. Aya!” Akko stepped in front of Diana, waving her hands to get Aya’s attention. “ _Mite, mite!_ ” She covered her face with both hands and then pulled them away to stick her tongue out. “Blagh!”

Her attempt was to no avail as Aya continued on wailing as though she hadn’t even noticed in the first place. Akko frowned, slumping her shoulders in defeat.

“Aya, it’s okay. We’re here,” Diana hushed, gently bouncing her against her shoulder. “You don’t have to cry.”

Akko’s frown deepened as she reached over, rubbing Aya’s hand with a finger. “What’s making her so upset?”

“I don’t know,” Diana admitted, pressing her hand to the back of Aya’s head. “She won’t eat and she smells clean. I have no idea what she wants.”

“Then maybe she’s just… in a bad mood or something?” Akko suggested, putting a hand to her chin. “What do babies get in bad moods about, anyways? It’s not like they have taxes to do.”

“Akko,” Diana warned. “Not helping.”

Akko grimaced. “Sorry.”

Diana shrugged the comment off, continuing to pace in circles. After a moment she perked up and spun on her heel to face Akko.

“That trick you did the other night,” she started hastily. “The bird trick. Remember? She enjoyed that. What if you did it again?”

Akko scratched her temple, glancing up in an attempt to remember. Honestly, all of the nights over the previous week had kind of melded together for her. She couldn’t really distinguish one night from the next to figure out what worked and what didn’t.

A bird trick? When had she done a bird trick? The previous night she had gotten her to sleep with a Japanese song about an octopus… and the night before that she had read to her from a Shiny Chariot picture book. ...Or was that last night?

But a bird…? What bird was Diana talking about? Akko couldn’t remember a bird. Unless maybe… _Oh!_

“My magic act!” Akko beamed, tapping her fist into her palm. “Yeah, I can do that!”

Of course! When Aya had been crying a few nights ago, she used a trick from one of her shows to get her to calm down. Transforming herself into adorable, misshapen animals was always a big hit with the kids. So, naturally, it wound up being a big hit with her own daughter, too.

That would _definitely_ make her stop crying again!

Akko shuffled into an open area of the room and took out her wand. “Okay, prepare to be amazed, _Mame-chan_! One birdy coming up!” With a wave of her wand she piped, “ _Metamorphie Faciesse!_ ”

With that, there was a popping sound, followed by an orange cloud of smoke. However, as the spell took hold of her form and reshaped her body, Akko began to realize that something didn’t feel quite right.

She was focusing all of her energy on transforming into a bird, of course. It was an act she had done time and time again during her shows. Usually when the transformation was complete, she’d be light as a feather; but for whatever reason, this time her body was heavy and… large?

Once the smoke cleared and Akko could see the absolutely horrified expression painted on Diana’s face, she knew something had definitely gone dreadfully wrong.

“ _Akko_!” Diana gasped, gripping Aya tighter in her arms.

“What?”

She looked down at herself and soon came to the realization that she most certainly was _not_ an adorable pink bird. Instead, she had tiny arms, and scaly legs with talons at the ends of each toe. The weight of a long tail behind her helped her balance out her center of gravity in such an unfamiliar form. When she set her attention onto the mirror across the room, her jaw dropped and pearly white fangs flashed back at her.

“Oh no.”

She was not a bird. She was a velociraptor.

To make matters worse, she hadn’t transformed into a child-friendly, cartoony velociraptor like she usually did with animal transformations. No. She was a very _real_ and very _frightening_ -looking velociraptor. Truthfully, Akko may have colored herself impressed if it hadn’t been for the screaming infant six feet away who had only become _far_ louder at the sight of Akko’s monstrous form.

How did she even end up as a dinosaur in the first place!? Well, Akko sort of remembered something about dinosaurs and birds maybe being related? But _this_?! It wasn’t even close to what she was going for! How had she messed up so badly?!

“Change back!” Diana demanded, holding Aya closer in a vain attempt to comfort her.

Akko closed her eyes tight as she attempted to visualize herself—but she had grown so used to _somewhat_ resembling herself when she did metamorphosis magic that she couldn’t seem to focus. All she could envision was herself as a terrifying dinosaur; and Aya’s distressed cries did nothing to help. No matter how she tried she couldn’t change back.

“I… I’m trying!” Akko whined, flailing her tiny dinosaur arms. “I can’t figure it out!”

“What do you _mean_ you can’t figure it out!?”

“I’ve never turned into a dinosaur before, Diana!”

“What difference does that make?! It’s the same basic metamorphosis concept!”

“No! It’s totally different! W-why don’t you turn me back?!”

“I don’t have my wand!”

“ _Ugh!_ ”

Think, Akko. _Think_! Diana was right—at the end of the day it really was the same basic concept; cartoon or not. She just needed to concentrate and reverse the spell. So _why_ couldn’t she concentrate!? Her mind was in a fog between her dinosaur body, Aya’s crying, Diana’s demands, and the complete exhaustion running her down.

Unfortunately for Akko, things were about to get so much worse.

“ _What_ is all the racket going on in—!” Daryl’s voice barked as she marched into the room, a glass of red wine in hand. But upon seeing a literal dinosaur in her living room, she halted dead in her tracks and screeched, dropping her wine in the process.

The scream alarmed Akko, and she quickly turned around to explain herself. However, while forgetting that she was presently a velociraptor, her tail worked as a whip. She smacked Daryl across the face and knocked her to the ground—right into the puddle of red wine.

A sharp intake of breath escaped Diana, and Aya somehow cried even _louder_ as Daryl laid on the floor unmoving. Akko’s jaw dropped.

“...Oops.”

As if the situation couldn’t have gotten any worse, within seconds it _did_. At the sound of their mother’s scream, both Maril and Merrill rushed into the room to see what was the matter. And, well, Akko could only imagine how the scene must have looked to them: A wailing infant. A distressed Diana. A dinosaur. And their mother, unmoving, face-down in a puddle of red liquid.

Yeah, the dual screech that followed was definitely justified.

“ _Mother_!”

* * *

Things were quiet at last.

Following an eternity of the twins’ screaming sobs and Akko attempting to explain herself, things had begun to simmer down. Fortunately, Daryl was able to get back on her feet, and Diana thanked whatever higher powers existed that she had only landed in the _wine_ and not any of the _glass_ that had shattered all over the floor.

Of course, that didn’t stop her or her daughters from completely lashing out on Akko, who—in an attempt to turn back to normal—had only transformed herself into an even more mortifying human-lizard hybrid. 

At that point, Diana had decided it best to excuse herself and Aya from the situation all together and allow the group to figure it out themselves. Fortunately for her, after settling down in the master bedroom, Aya had eased up and was _finally_ nursing peacefully.

Diana was glad for it, despite being fully burnt out.

For whatever reason, be it all the distractions or a fussy temper, trying to get Aya to eat during the day was an onerous task. And, as a result, she always ended up wanting to nurse for what felt like an hour in the dead of night, leaving Diana delirious with exhaustion the next day.

So maybe this was a sign that she would actually be allowed to catch up on some obviously-needed rest later that night.

Hopefully.

The bedroom door creaking open pulled Diana from her thoughts. She took her attention away from Aya to see a very human-looking Akko poke her head into the room, offering an apologetic smile.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Diana responded, arching an amused brow. “You look… far less scaly.”

“Yeah,” Akko laughed awkwardly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. “No more tiny arms, either.”

“Is Aunt Daryl all right?”

“Well, Anna seems more worried about the stain on the carpet than her condition, so…” Akko joked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I’ll take that as a good sign.”

Diana let a small chuckle escape. “Right.”

A silence hung between them, and Diana noticed the way Akko’s back and shoulders relaxed as she sat. Her body losing tension when it made contact with the bed made it seem as though she hadn’t had a moment to rest all day.

Which wasn’t too far from the truth for either of them, if Diana was being completely honest.

Akko shifted, pursing her lips and scratching at the back of her neck. “Hey, I’m… sorry about all that,” she started, frowning. “I dunno where my head was. I never mess up that spell.” She groaned. “Well… not like _that_ , anyways.”

“It’s fine, Akko. I think we were both a little… out of sorts today,” Diana dismissed, sliding over to make more room beside her. “It happens.”

With an amused smile, Akko scooted back to sit with her. “You’re not the one who turned into a velociraptor,” she teased, eliciting a scoff from Diana. Akko grinned, nudging their shoulders together. “But I get what you mean. Being a mom’s exhausting, huh?”

Diana glanced down at Aya, softly caressing her hair. “It most certainly is.”

Aya squirmed uncomfortably in Diana’s arms with a strained whimper. Diana sighed, pulling the infant away from her breast to rest against her shoulder—patting and rubbing her back for her.

Akko pouted, leaning in closer to Aya. “Do you see how much trouble you’re causing us? We’re losing sleep because of you, ma’am,” she teased, poking her nose. “You’ve got us all crazy—turning into dinosaurs and killing Great Aunt Daryl.”

Diana couldn’t resist the urge to snort. “She would be furious if she heard you say that.”

“The killing part or the Great Aunt part?”

“Maybe both.”

That got a laugh out of the both of them, and as Diana continued to pat Aya on the back, she eventually let out a small burp. Akko swelled with pride, giving the infant a thumbs-up.

“Hey, good job!” Akko praised, reaching over to take Aya out of Diana’s arms. “You’re a pro-burper. Aunt Amanda would be proud.”

Diana rolled her eyes, readjusting her bathrobe as she watched Akko carefully lay Aya down in her lap.

For as chaotic of a person as Akko was, it never ceased to amaze Diana how gentle she was with Aya. She handled her as though she might break if she so much as touched her the wrong way. Aya stared back up at her—small red irises meeting big ones. She blinked slowly as Akko delicately supported the back of her head with her hand.

Diana cracked a smile. “She’s certainly tired out now.”

Akko beamed. “Yeah—look at that sleepy face. Are you milk drunk?” she cooed, rubbing a finger against Aya’s stomach. Aya merely responded with a yawn, which got a giggle out of Akko. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The room grew quiet as Aya continued to battle sleep. She’d close her eyes for a moment, but then appear to be wide awake the next—her gaze shifting between her parents as she squirmed in Akko’s lap.

Watching Aya fight with sleep reminded Diana of the way she and Akko had been doing the same thing practically all day. Even if they allowed themselves to shut their eyes for a second, they would be sharp and alert the next. Their bodies were beating them down, begging for them to rest. But so long as they were both needed, resting could wait.

Akko was right. Being a mother truly _was_ exhausting.

“Hey, Diana?” Akko spoke up, and Diana blinked, glancing at her. Akko wasn’t looking at her, but rather, at the infant nestled in her lap. “I know that this whole thing has been super crazy tiring, and I know that we’re both messing up a lot and figuring things out as we go. But…”

Akko looked at her, and for the first time that day, Diana could truly see the dark, heavy bags that had taken shape beneath Akko’s eyes. They dragged down her usual chipper expression with their weight—leaving her appearing as if she could pass out at any second. She was _so_ tired.

And yet...

“I just want you to know that I’m really, _really_ happy.”

Her eyes were positively sparkling. The bright pools of crimson shining back at her left the bags beneath them almost irrelevant.

A warmth blossomed in Diana’s chest and she laughed lightly. “Where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

Akko shrugged. “I guess I was thinking that after a day like today it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about everything that went wrong. So I wanted to let you know that I love all of it—every second.” Her expression softened. “I’m so happy I get to be on this adventure with you.”

Diana’s heart slowed. All of the sleepless nights and draining days, all of the unstoppable crying and ridiculous mistakes, all of the reread pages and confused velociraptors—they were all worth it. If she had to deal with each of those obstacles time and time again just to have one moment like this, then she would do it all a thousand times over.

 _This_ was worth it.

Closing her eyes, she leaned in and nuzzled her forehead against Akko’s. Barely above a whisper, she said, “I’m happy, too.”

Akko let out a content breath, allowing herself to relax and return the gesture. They stayed like that for a long while until Akko opened an eye to glance down at the child resting in her lap. She smiled and nodded toward her.

“Hey—she’s asleep,” Akko observed. And, sure enough, there Aya was, her chest rising and falling with sleep. Akko glanced at Diana smugly. “How long do you think we’ve got?”

“If I had to guess?” Diana mused, leaning into Akko, who slumped her own weight right back into her. “Not long at all.”

* * *

Anna marched down the halls toward the master bedroom. In all her years of serving the Cavendishes she had never seen the manor in such a state of disarray. Even after the twins and Diana were born, there wasn’t a moment where she could recall feeling _this_ overwhelmed.

Of course, she knew it had everything to do with Atsuko Kagari. Honestly, that girl was something else. The last thing she would have ever expected to be doing in the golden years of her life would be walking in on her covered in lizard scales, apologizing profusely to a wine-drenched Lady Daryl.

Though, even Anna had to shamefully admit that there was a _small_ part of her that found amusement in it. Even if she would never admit it out loud.

Yes, things were certainly _lively_ , for lack of a better term. She wasn’t sure how Lady Diana tolerated it all.

Which was why she felt the need to check in on her after all was said and done. She knew that being a new mother wasn’t easy. And though Lady Diana had insisted that she wanted minimal staff effort in regards to caring for the newborn, Anna couldn’t help but feel the innate desire to at least _offer_ her help.

After all, the Lady seemed nothing short of _exhausted_ today.

So, Anna composed herself as best she could and began to push the door to the master bedchambers open. She cleared her throat to make her presence known and stepped inside.

“My Lady. Would you like—?”

She stopped.

Lady Diana, Atsuko Kagari, and little Aya were all sound asleep in bed. Diana had ungracefully slumped herself against Atsuko, whose jaw was slacked with drool dripping from her mouth as loud snores escaped her throat. Aya was resting carefully between her arms—the faintest of snores coming from her, as well.

Anna stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do. Should she wake them? Let them know that dinner was nearly ready and that a hot meal would do them some good? Should she try to take Aya away and hope that she wouldn’t awaken any of them in the process?

Or should she simply leave them to rest for as long as they were able to?

Anna could feel her lips curving upwards as she backed off, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible. She supposed that for just a little while longer, she would allow the three of them to catch up on some much-needed rest.

* * *

_End._


End file.
